10 space saving ideas for tiny kitchens

Most people, at some stage in their lives will inspect a property that is exactly what they’re looking for… with the exception of the dollhouse-sized kitchen.

Everything else about the house is perfect so they tell themselves that they can cope with a kitchen that is little more than a sink in a hallway and by the time they’ve moved in, it’s too late. They’re stuck trying to fit a year’s supply of canned goods into a tiny pantry that’s half filled with the water heater.

Small kitchens are a common problem that seems to be getting worse as apartments and homes are built to take up less and less room.

We’ve come up with a few solutions that will help you save space in a tiny kitchen. These tips are all damage-free and rent friendly too so there’s little risk of losing your bond.

1. Store knives on a magnetic wall strip

Most hardware stores have self-adhesive magnetic strips that are perfect for storing knives.

Make sure you use double sided tape or adhesive strips that can bear weight and affix the strip to a spare wall in your kitchen. This saves draw space and bench space as it eliminates the need for a knife block.

Tip: follow the instructions for your double-sided tape or adhesive strips carefully to make sure it’s going to hold the weight of your knives.

2. Hang pots and pans from the ceiling

Pots and pans are usually the biggest issue in small kitchens because they’re bulky and difficult to store.

Most kitchens will allow for a rack to be attached to the ceiling with rope or chain hung from a heavy-duty hook. You can then attach S hooks to the rack to hang your cumbersome pots and pans out of the way so they’re easily accessible and not cluttering up your cupboards.

Tip: make sure you weigh your rack, pots and pans to make sure that they’re not over the weight requirement of your hooks.

3. Attach a peg board to a spare wall

Another a fantastic solution for storage of pots and pans is to attach a large sheet of peg board to a wall in your kitchen and hang your pans, pots and ladles flat against the wall on peg board hooks.

You can get peg board cut to almost any size so this solution is very versatile, particularly if you only have a small section of wall available.

4. Buy small/thin freestanding shelves

Most furniture stores sell basic shelving solutions in a variety of widths and heights. Try a CD-sized shelf for a miniature pantry or as a display shelf for delicate cups and china.

5. Get creative with office supplies

A magazine holder stuck to the inside of a cupboard makes a handy storage area for cling wrap boxes, you can use pencil tins to store knives and forks and if you attached a large bulldog clip to your kitchen wall, it makes an excellent recipe book holder.

6. Stock up on bathroom storage solutions

Shower caddies can be used to store bottles of sauces in cupboards as well as vegetables that don’t require refrigeration. You can also use curtain rings to hang up tea towels and wash cloths.

7. Utilise the surface of the fridge

Anything magnetic will stick to the surface of your fridge so buy some self-adhesive magnetic strips and get creative.

You can stick measuring equipment, timers, small baskets, hooks and serving spoons to your fridge with magnetic strips and it frees up other areas for more important items.

8. Put smaller shelves on your bigger shelves

Lots of storage solutions stores sell smaller sets of shelves that you place on bigger shelves. These are fantastic for making the most of out of your pantry space.

If you place a double tier miniature shelf on an existing shelf, you’ve just tripled your storage. That’s three surfaces where you can store bottles and jars where there used to be just one surface with lots of wasted vertical space.

9. Place magnet boards on the inside of cupboards

Similar to our magnet strip idea for your knives, another great idea is to place magnet boards inside your cupboards. That way you can stick any metal objects like measuring spoons or spice containers to the inside of the cupboard to save surface space within the cupboard.

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